Published: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 at 7:24 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 12:42 a.m.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Alec Russ looked down at his feet and let his mind wander with the breeze that swept over the New Smyrna Beach Athletic Complex on Tuesday evening.

Russ said his grandfather – Curtis Dale – always wanted him to play baseball. But he never got to see it in person before he died last June.

“He'd be proud of me,” Russ said as he looked up.

A 5-foot-10 middle reliever, Russ has worked in three of New Smyrna Beach's four games this season. He has pitched seven innings, striking out five while giving up just three hits and no earned runs.

“He is a left-handed guy,” NSB coach Nick Regilio said. “He is not going to overpower you. He is going to mix in on both sides of the plate, mix in a change-up and a breaking ball, and he is keeping them off balance and throwing strikes. He is doing the right things to keep us in the ballgame.”

Perhaps most amazing about what the senior has shown thus far is that he has played just four seasons of organized baseball. And one of those – a T-ball season when he was 6 – sort of doesn't count.

“For it to happen in three years, where he is able to compete on the varsity level, speaks volumes for itself,” Regilio said. “He has put in a lot of hard work. The kid stays after it, grinds away and puts the work and effort in.”

Russ said his fast rise from baseball novice to key player on a team that made a run to the Class 7A state semifinals a season ago has been spurred by the memory of his grandfather.

“That is where the drive comes from,” he said. “That, and I want to prove to my family that I can do this.

“It's hard,” he said of dealing with his grandfather's passing. “The only thing I can do is what he wanted me to do.”

Russ has already completed the first step in fulfilling his grandfather's wish. Now he is working toward fulfilling his grandfather's ultimate dream.

“He always said he wanted me to play college baseball,” Russ said.

Regilio said he believes that Russ can make that happen.

“Being left-handed is a plus,” he said. “Right now, as far as where his stuff is at … I'd say he can go to a smaller school somewhere, get a chance to play and get better as a baseball player and mature.”

And Russ said he will continue to use his grandfather as motivation as he tries to reach that goal.

“When he died … that was a turning point for me,” he said. “I'm going to step it up for him.”

<p><b> NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- </b> Alec Russ looked down at his feet and let his mind wander with the breeze that swept over the New Smyrna Beach Athletic Complex on Tuesday evening. </p><p>Russ said his grandfather – Curtis Dale – always wanted him to play baseball. But he never got to see it in person before he died last June. </p><p>“He'd be proud of me,” Russ said as he looked up. </p><p>A 5-foot-10 middle reliever, Russ has worked in three of New Smyrna Beach's four games this season. He has pitched seven innings, striking out five while giving up just three hits and no earned runs. </p><p>“He is a left-handed guy,” NSB coach Nick Regilio said. “He is not going to overpower you. He is going to mix in on both sides of the plate, mix in a change-up and a breaking ball, and he is keeping them off balance and throwing strikes. He is doing the right things to keep us in the ballgame.”</p><p>Perhaps most amazing about what the senior has shown thus far is that he has played just four seasons of organized baseball. And one of those – a T-ball season when he was 6 – sort of doesn't count. </p><p>“For it to happen in three years, where he is able to compete on the varsity level, speaks volumes for itself,” Regilio said. “He has put in a lot of hard work. The kid stays after it, grinds away and puts the work and effort in.”</p><p>Russ said his fast rise from baseball novice to key player on a team that made a run to the Class 7A state semifinals a season ago has been spurred by the memory of his grandfather. </p><p>“That is where the drive comes from,” he said. “That, and I want to prove to my family that I can do this. </p><p>“It's hard,” he said of dealing with his grandfather's passing. “The only thing I can do is what he wanted me to do.”</p><p>Russ has already completed the first step in fulfilling his grandfather's wish. Now he is working toward fulfilling his grandfather's ultimate dream.</p><p>“He always said he wanted me to play college baseball,” Russ said. </p><p>Regilio said he believes that Russ can make that happen.</p><p>“Being left-handed is a plus,” he said. “Right now, as far as where his stuff is at … I'd say he can go to a smaller school somewhere, get a chance to play and get better as a baseball player and mature.”</p><p>And Russ said he will continue to use his grandfather as motivation as he tries to reach that goal.</p><p>“When he died … that was a turning point for me,” he said. “I'm going to step it up for him.”</p>